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Your Comments on Syracuse's proposed budget: 'Out-of-control government spending has to stop'

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Firefighter Andrew Carducci prepares for the night shift at Syracuse Fire Department's Station 7. The 1039 E. Fayette St. station would close under the city budget proposed Monday by Mayor Stephanie Miner.
(Mike Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com)

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner proposed a 2013-14 city budget Monday that would close a fire station, reduce the number of firefighters per shift and consolidate the city planning office with Onondaga County's, but spend $18 million more than it takes in in revenue.

The $665.99 million proposal includes $298.8 million for city operations, up 0.23 percent from this year. The remaining $367.19 million would go to the Syracuse City School District, up 2.2 percent.

Property tax, water and sewer rates would stay the same. The city would pull $18 million from its $61 million rainy-day fund to fill the budget gap.

The proposal also would devote $2 million to the new city-county land bank, $1 million to Say Yes to Education and $500,000 for new computers.

It anticipates an increase in $1.9 million from collection of delinquent taxes resulting from a foreclosure program set up after the land bank was formed.

It also drew a lot of comment from syracuse.com readers. Here's a sample:

From zhelan: Fire safety measures of all kinds have improved greatly over the past century and cities (and suburbs) rarely suffer the devastation that was all too common in the 19th century. Yet we refuse to rethink our fire departments.
Crime rates have been dropping for decades and the drop would be even more obvious if we had not launched a "drug war." Yet we refuse to rethink policing.

From trinityxmascolekeita, regarding Miner's reported opposition to binding interest arbitration: This makes me believe she is lying and the city will not go bankrupt, and she just wants to union bust. As any smart person knows unions are not the problem, only a small minority of people are still in a union.

From tonyb: They still allow the police who live outside the city to take cars home. They still allow police near retirement age to rack up the overtime to pad their pensions. Cut it all out.

From bioya: The whole premise behind the "Say Yes To Education" is that it will attract people to move to Syracuse, thereby increasing the tax base. This doesn't work, never will work. So, let's just "say no" to whiner Miner and take the $1M and use it to renovate the fire station.

From REALLY?!: It is time our local, state and federal representatives wake up to the fact the bloated and out-of-control government spending has to stop and instead work like a “for-profit business.” There are redundant services at all levels .

From mrcranky57: A logical person would think some prudent cuts would be made in the budget rather than continue the march towards complete utilization of the rainy day fund. Unfortunately, the mayor is no different than a large share of citizens in the USA. Keep spending and place the burden on the taxpayers when everything finally collapses.

What changes would you make to Miner's proposed budget? Please leave a comment below.